Panhandling erodes dignity

Charles J. Faris and Cindy Buraczynski

Published Wednesday November 28, 2012 at 6:00 am

When one looks to the dictionary for a definition of “panhandling” the following description appears: “to approach and beg from a stranger.” Other definitions of panhandling give similar descriptions. None, however, use the word dignity.

Much has appeared in the local press over the last several months regarding the growing number of panhandlers in and around Worcester. Recently, the city manager offered an ordinance to the City Council for their approval. The ordinance did not pass, however, due to the potential consequences its passage may have on charitable fundraising activities.

There is a perception that some of the panhandlers observed in the city also receive city-supported services such as housing, health care, financial assistance as well as state-funded benefits, including addiction and mental health treatment. This causes legitimate concerns for many residents of the Worcester community, and it should.

Learning to recover from addiction involves investment in rebuilding one’s self-respect. Begging, as the dictionary definition describes it, reinforces a poor self-image and not only hinders abstinence from drugs, but encourages relapse.

It is contradictory to any sensible plan for recovery to be simultaneously panhandling.

Spectrum Health Systems is dedicated to helping individuals suffering from an addiction or mental health disorder to get their lives back on track, restoring their dignity and self-respect in the process. Intensive coursework is provided throughout treatment to help clients acquire the attitudes, behaviors and skills needed for achieving and maintaining long-term recovery.

We recognize the importance of teaching clients how to make better choices and take responsibility for creating healthier, more productive and satisfying lives.

This includes being accountable for one’s behavior and participating in the communities in which they reside.

Panhandling, on the other hand, undermines these efforts. It is degrading and lowers self-image.

When those of us who work in the addiction and mental health field do not address behaviors like panhandling, we enable this behavior, placing recovering individuals at risk for relapse.

Furthermore, panhandling perpetuates negative stereotypes about people with addiction and mental health disorders. Most citizens cannot differentiate panhandlers from individuals who are in recovery or actively using drugs.

It is only natural to arrive at the conclusion that all panhandlers are addicts and do not receive the respect of someone who is struggling with the disease of addiction. Observers who view panhandlers at an intersection or busy thoroughfare cannot be blamed for coming to this conclusion.

Those of us who work in the addiction and mental health field do a disservice to the individuals we work with by turning a blind eye to this regressive behavior. We also owe it to the citizens of Worcester to present the beneficiaries of our work and the city’s resources in the best possible light. By not discouraging this negative behavior, we assist no one and encourage the perception that those suffering from addiction and mental health are a public nuisance. For these reasons, Spectrum strongly discourages individuals in treatment with us from panhandling of any kind and firmly supports initiatives designed to restrict individuals from engaging in this harmful and demeaning practice.

All agencies in the city that provide services to the substance-abusing population should work together to address the issues that cause individuals to seek solutions to their problems in this way and stop panhandling.

Charles J. Faris is president and CEO, and Cindy Buraczynski is vice president of planning and development of Spectrum Health Systems Inc.